DX LISTENING DIGEST 3-228, December 21, 2003
edited by Glenn Hauser
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NEXT AIRINGS OF WORLD OF RADIO 1212:
Mon 0430 on WSUI, Iowa City, 910, webcast [last week`s 1211]
Mon 0515 on WBCQ 7415, webcast, maybe 5105
Wed 1030 on WWCR 9475
WRN ONDEMAND:
http://new.wrn.org/listeners/stations/station.php?StationID=24
OUR ONDEMAND AUDIO [also for CONTINENT OF MEDIA, MUNDO RADIAL]:
Check http://www.worldofradio.com/audiomid.html
WORLD OF RADIO 1212 (high version):
(stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1212h.ram
(download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1212h.rm
(summary) http://www.worldofradio.com/wor1212.html
(stream) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1212.ram
(download) http://www.w4uvh.net/wor1212.rm
UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIAL
Glenn, Very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, and thanks for
all your work in 2003. Cheers, (Matt Francis, DC)
And to you, and everyone who contributes without which there would be
no DXLD and no WOR (gh)
** AUSTRALIA. CHRISTMAS ANNIVERSARY FOR ABC SYDNEY ON SHORTWAVE - VLI
In the Christmas edition of Wavescan each year, it is our custom to
choose a Christmas radio station and tell its story. This year, we
choose another shortwave station that was inaugurated during the
Christmas season many years ago, and the choice falls upon the now
silent Home Service shortwave station that was on the air in Sydney,
Australia.
It was on December 22, 1948, that a small 2 kW shortwave transmitter
was officially inaugurated at Liverpool in New South Wales under the
Australian callsign VLI. A few days earlier, local radio listeners
noted test broadcasts from the new transmitter on several different
channels in the international shortwave bands.
The large ABC radio station located at Liverpool on the southern edge
of the city of Sydney was established in the year 1938 for mediumwave
coverage of Australia`s largest metropolis. The two main
transmitters carry the national and state service for the ABC and
these have been on the air under the callsigns 2BL & 2FC.
A few years ago, the historic callsign 2FC was relinquished and the
national programming for the Sydney area is now on the air under the
generic callsigh 2RN. Two other mediumwave callsigns have been in
use at Liverpool; 2JJ which is now identified as Triple J on FM, and
2PB which carries parliamentary broadcasts and news relays.
The new shortwave unit was implemented for coverage of coastal areas
north and south of Sydney where mediumwave coverage was poor at the
time. Initially, two channels were in use and these were scheduled
as follows:-
VLI2 6090 kHz Morning & evening
VLI3 9500 kHz Daytime
However, on June 1, 1951, the numeric designators were changed and
VLI2 became VLI6 and VLI3 became VLI9. Two years later again, the 9
MHz channel was dropped and the transmitter was on the air full time
on just one channel, 6090 kHz.
Quite suddenly and unexpectedly, at 1402 UTC on October 7, 1983, the
VLI transmitter malfunctioned and left the air abruptly. The
official cause was stated to be the failure of the main transmitting
tube.
The small transmitter was soon afterwards removed from its location
against one of the big 50 kW mediumwave transmitters and all of the
wooden poles, all painted white, that carried the feeder line to the
rhombic antenna system were also removed.
During its 35 year history, station VLI carried a composite relay
from both 2BL & 2FC, and its signal was heard quite reliably well
beyond the coastal areas. Many QSL cards were issued to confirm the
reception of VLI, and they were always the regular ABC QSL cards that
were in use at the time.
Just as a matter of interest, the callsign VLI was in use back in the
year 1919 for the New Zealand ship, ``Aorangi`` (AY-or-ANG-gee). Then
in January 1943, the VLQ transmitter at Pennant Hills that was on the
air with the programming of ``Australia Calling```` was re-designated
as VLI.
Two years later, Radio Australia dropped the usage of the station at
Pennant Hills and the callsign VLI was deleted. However, three years
later again the call was taken up for the 2 kW transmitter located at
Liverpool.
And that is the story of the Christmas station VLI that was
inaugurated on December 22, 1948, just 55 years ago (Adrian Michael
Petersen, AWR Wavescan Dec 22 via John Norfolk, DXLD)
** BHUTAN. 6035, Bhutan Broadcasting Service, Thimpu, 0100-0135 (fade
out), Dec 5. Really strong signal here in Italy at the start of
programs. It is the first time that I could listen to it so well: a
real easy listening. Start, ID and usual traditional/religious
music. Signal going down after 0135 (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano,
Italy, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
Also heard tentatively 1400-1459, Dec 8, Dzongkha female reading news
(?), entrancing vocals sounded Tibetan rather than the usual
subcontinental fare, in the clear after co-channel R. Australia s/off
1358 but blocked again by BBC Oman 1459, annoying splatter from SWR
6030, at best 22332 (Martien Groot, Holland, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17
via DXLD)
** BOLIVIA. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thanks Henrik, [Klemetz] for all your information about Radio Uncía
4722.86 kHz. Has been on air every 2 days so perhaps can we listen to
this new station tomorrow Sunday. 73s (Björn Malm, Quito, Ecuador
SWB América Latina, Dec 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Look carefully at that name, not Única but Uncía oon-SEE-ah (gh, DXLD)
** BURMA [non]. NORWAY: 5945, Democratic Voice of Burma at 2355 20 Dec
in Burmese/Kachin. I procured a language sked awhile back, etiher via
Cumbre or WOR. Kachin was listed on Saturday. A good signal most
nights despite extreme QRM (Liz Cameron, MI, Cumbre DX via DXLD)
** CANADA. CBC Radio Holiday specials --- Finally, some info from the
CBC about its radio specials this year.
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/holidays/index.html
(Ricky Leong, QC, Dec 20, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CANADA. BROADCASTING COMMISSION ISSUES ANNUAL REPORT | The Canadian
Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has issued
its annual report highlighting the status of television, radio,
broadcasting distribution, (including cable television and satellite)
in Canada. The following is a bulletted summary of the report,
published as a press release by the CRTC's website on 18 December.
Subheadings as published, all currencies are Canadian dollars (1 CAD =
approximately 0.75 US dollars)
Television
- There are 631 English language, French language, Aboriginal and
ethnic television stations in Canada. These include 23 CBC/SRC
stations, 17 private CBC/SRC affiliates, 91 Canadian private
commercial stations, 105 Canadian specialty services, 20 Canadian pay
and pay-per-view services, as well as 93 foreign satellite services.
- Viewing by English language viewers to Canadian drama and comedy
programs remained at only 11 percent, as in the previous two years,
foreign drama and comedy programs accounting for the remaining 89
percent of viewing. In contrast, the viewing share for Canadian drama
and comedy programs by French language viewers increased from 43
percent in 2000 to 46 percent in 2001, 48 percent in 2002.
- In 2002, Canadian programs garnered 76 percent of the total
viewership to French-language programs and 32 percent of the total
viewership to English-language programs.
- Revenues for conventional English-language private television fell
slightly (1.7 percent) from 2001 to 2002. At the same time, revenues
for English-language specialty, pay and pay-per-view services
increased by 10.8 percent. Revenues for English-language digital
specialty services totalled $48.7 million in 2002. From 2001 to 2002,
revenues for conventional French-language television increased by 3.3
percent, while those for French-language specialty, pay, and pay-per-
view television increased by 10.7 percent.
Radio
- Canadian radio services comprise 99 CBC/SRC stations, 608 commercial
AM, FM and digital stations, and 131 community and campus stations.
- Revenues for English language AM and FM stations increased by 2.7
percent, while those for French language stations grew by 5.3 percent
from 2001 to 2002.
- Since the coming into force of the CRTC's commercial radio policy in
1998, Canadian radio stations have made commitments totalling close to
$120 million in support of Canadian talent.
- In August 2003, the Commission awarded 56 licences for transitional
digital radio stations in the Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Windsor
markets.
Broadcasting Distribution Undertakings (BDUs)
- Competition for cable services comes mainly from Direct-to-Home
(DTH) satellite distribution undertakings and multipoint distribution
systems (MDS). These competitors have reduced the share of the large
cable undertakings (Class 1) from 80.5 percent in 1999 to 72.4 percent
in 2002.
- Approximately 82 percent of Canadian households receive basic
service from a BDU.
- Subscriptions to DTH services totalled 1,959,677 and their share of
the market reached 21.2 percent in 2002. Subscriptions rose by nearly
440,000or 29 percentfrom 2001 to 2002. This growth was derived from
former cable subscribers and new subscribers in areas without cable
access.
- The number of subscribers to digital services (including cable TV
and DTH) increased from 3,050,518 to 3,594,691 between June 2002 and
June 2003.
- By the end of November 2003, the rates of 4.7 million, or 70%, of
the subscribers of the large cable undertakings (Class 1) had been
deregulated.
Internet
- 64 percent of Canadian households owned a computer in 2003.
- In March of 2003, 68 percent of Canadians had access to the Internet
from home, work, school or some other location. 12 percent of
Canadians had wireless Internet access.
- In 2003, for the first time, there were as many subscribers to high
speed Internet as to dial-up Internet. [Passage omitted on CRTC
background] Source: Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications
Commission, Ottawa, in English 18 Dec 03 (via BBCM via DXLD)
** CHINA [non]. CHINESE OFFICIAL: NEW OVERSEAS CHINESE TV STATION
"FALUN GONG PROPAGANDA TOOL" | Text of report by Chinese news agency
Zhongguo Xinwen She
Sydney, 18 December: A spokesman of the Chinese Consulate-General in
Sydney said today: "New Tang dynasty Television" [Chinese: xin tang
ren dian shi tai] with its headquarters in the United States has self-
claimed as a mass media but it is in fact a propaganda tool of the
"Falun Gong" cult [xie jiao] organization. It is hoped that the
Australian people, especially the overseas Chinese and Chinese
residents in Australia will not be duped and utilized by them and also
will not support them or take part in their activities.
The spokesman said: "New Tang dynasty Television" plans to hold its
"First New Year's Eve Party for the Chinese People" in New York on 18
and 19 January next year and broadcast it to the whole world through
satellite communications. In order to produce programmes for the
evening party, the "volunteers" of "New Tang dynasty Television" may
want to "interview" some overseas Chinese or Chinese visitors in
Australia.
The spokesman pointed out: "Falun Gong" is same as Japan's "Aum
Shinrikyo", being a complete cult organization. It has caused the
death of more than 1,700 people in China and is still poisoning those
who are unaware of the truth. In the name of practising Qigong to
improve health and under the fig leaf of disseminating "truthfulness,
benevolence, and forbearance", they have used all kinds of tactics to
cover up their true nature of being a cult, their anti-China
propaganda and anti-Chinese activities, as well as their activities to
smear China and the Chinese people.
The spokesman noted that "New Tang dynasty Television" planned to hold
the so-called "First New Year's Eve Party for the Chinese People" in
the name of disseminating Chinese culture. Its real purpose is to
spread cult doctrine and anti-China propaganda. It is an insult to
Chinese culture as well as to the overseas Chinese and Chinese
residents in foreign countries. It is hoped that people will clearly
understand its true nature and will not be duped by them.
Source: Zhongguo Xinwen She news agency, Beijing, in Chinese 18 Dec 03
(via BBCM via DXLD)
** COLOMBIA. SANTA MARIA DE LA PAZ RADIO OUTGROWTH OF PEACE MOVEMENT
FOUNDED AFTER 40 YEARS OF CIVIL WAR
Medellín, Dec 14 (CRU) --- A radio station growing out of a peace
movement. It has happened before in the world, notably for the
shortwave station Radio For Peace International in Costa Rica. But
this is the first time it has happened in Catholic radio. In the
December 13 issue of Conexión-Digital of Buenos Aires, two radio
DXers, Björn Malm in Ecuador and Henrik Klemetz heard the new HJXZ
Santa María de la Paz Radio 1560 AM from Medellín. Mr. Malm captured a
station identification on tape http://homepage.sverige.net/~a-0901/
and Mr. Klemetz found its website http://www.santamariadelapaz.org
Its website contains a great deal of information, attractively
clustered under a series of windows that open when keywords spread
across the top of the mast are clicked. The first is about the
organization. ``In 1991, a group of faithful Catholics, tired of the
situation of violence that affects Colombian society, and convinced
that only in God can the roads of a true and integral peace be found,
had the initiative of promoting the construction in Medellín
(Colombia) of a a sanctuary in honor of the Most Holy Virgin under the
title of Santa María de La Paz (Holy Mary of Peace), in order to ask
God, through the mediation of her maternal health, the priceless gift
of peace for the whole country and the world.``
Colombia has been through a torture chamber for 60 years. An endless,
pitiless war among two Marxist guerrilla groups, the larger being
FARC; paramilitaries; and the Colombian government has killed 100,000.
The paramilitaries were created by citizens who were tired of the
depredations of the Marxist guerrillas who attacked, murdered, raped,
and kidnapped almost at will. In recent years, the U.S. has greatly
increased military aid to the Colombian army, and they have made
steady gains against the guerrilla forces in recent years. That has
brought much criticism from the Church and international pacifist
groups. But the Colombian people are tired of the guerrillas and
support the army.
The Church is in favor of negotiations, despite the fact that two
bishops and several priests have been killed in the last two years,
including the outspoken archbishop of Cali who thought it useless to
negotiate with merciless guerrillas when they used such periods of
negotiation to regroup and reinforce themselves. Some laymen support
the bishops, as does the Santa María de La Paz group. ``October 12,
992, in commemoration of the Fifth Centenary of Evangelization of
America, the Santa María de la Paz Corporation was founded, a
nonprofit entity, to try to materialize this work in honor of the Most
Holy Virgin who, God permitting, will be a symbol of permanent and
true peace that we want to construct among all. This apostolic
initiative has counted on the help and support of the entire Colombian
ecclesiastical hierarchy and the Holy Father John Paul II who, since
1993, has welcomed with approbation this initiative by written
communication and, afterwards, by means of papal blessing of the image
of Santa María de La Paz on April 10, 2000.``
One of the things that the corporación (we would use the term
organization or foundation) intended to do from the very start was to
found a radio station. ``Actually, the Corporation promotes efforts to
put in operation the radio station ``Santa María de la Paz Radio.``
Motivated by the impulse and spirit of our listeners, we are looking
for our own outlet and a broader programming that would also be a
source of help to develop our future sanctuary.``
That desire bore fruit recently with the purchase of the commercial
radio station Emisoras El Poblado 1560 AM The move itself is a bold
one, because Medellín already has three Catholic radio stations:
stations HJIL Radio Minuto de Dios (of that Movement) 1230 AM, HJTA
Radio María Colombia 1320 AM, and of a fairly new group of laymen and
priests, HJDN La Voz de la Misericordia 1530 AM.
The question one automatically asks oneself on learning this is,
``Does Medellín need another Catholic radio station? What is
distinctive about Santa María de La Paz Radio? The website says yes:
``The project of Santa María de la Paz – Radio, born of the necessity
of making available a pulpit from which the Word of God can be spread,
from which the doctrine of the Church can be promoted, and true
devotion to Most Holy Virgin can be awakened and spread among all
Colombians, as well as the principles of a civilization of love and an
authentic Christian culture of peace, which constitutes a profound
necessity felt in these moments of violence and grave social
disruption.``
One of the distinctive marks of Santa María de La Paz is its emphasis
on peace. A second objective is an emphasis on professionalism in
broadcasting, something not always found in Catholic radio: ``We are
proposing to ourselves the goal of a station in which one works with a
great sense of responsibility and professionalism.`` Another is its
willingness to open its microphones to every orthodox Catholic point
of view and activity, giving the many movements, organizations,
religious orders, and groups airtime to do their own programs and
present to the Colombian public what they have to say. ``The axis of
programming will be everything related to the Corporation and its
message, but the station will be open to the different charismas in
the Church. A good part of the programs will be produced by
representatives of different communities, groups, apostolic movements,
entities, etc., coordinated by an editorial committee and the director
of the station. In this manner we can offer to listeners a great
wealth and diversity of colors, tendencies and spiritualities that
take into account the distinct circumstances of listeners and that
will be a reflection of the multiple variety of the action of the Holy
Spirit in the Church.``
What programming does Santa María de La Paz offer? The website states
its philosophy and goals. ``Inside of the unity of criterion of
programming, Santa María de la Paz – Radio will be dedicated entirely
to the work of Evangelization, with full fidelity to the Magisterium
of the Church, by means of representatives of the Corporation and
other people who reflect and represent the diverse Catholic
institutions, spiritualities, and charismas that want to participate.
This work team will be charged with producing the programming that is
broadcast. Santa María de la Paz – Radio will seek to accompany
listeners 24 hours a day, orienting them in their spiritual lives,
responding to their inquietudes, resolving their doubts, and fomenting
their practicing their faith as Catholics.``
A look at the program schedule shows daily broadcasts of the Liturgy
of the Hours --- Lauds at 6 a.m. and Vespers at 6 p.m., but there is
no Matins, midday prayers, or Compline. Surprisingly, there is no Holy
Mass, not even on Sundays. There is a Liturgy of the Word (the
readings) on Sunday morning, but that is it. Perhaps because the
station seems to be rather new, it lacks the equipment and personnel
to offer daily Mass and the rest of the Liturgical Hours. The station
does believe in ``strip programming.`` There is little variety from
one day to the next, except for Sundays. The Monday through Saturday
schedule is
6:00 Lauds
6:30 Speaking with God
7:00 Chronicles of Peace
8:00 To Live in Christ
9:00 Devotion of the Day (varies)
9:30 The Rosary
10:00 Ask and You Will Receive
10:30 In Rhythm with Jesus
11:00 Coloring Hope
11:30 The Rosary
Noon We Travel in the Faith
12:30 A Voice that Clamors in the Desert
1:00 The Rosary (every half-hour the mysteries change)
3:00 Chaplet of the Divine Mercy
3:30 In Rhythm with Jesus
4:00 Community of Listeners
4:30 Coloring Hope
5:00 Devotion of the Day (varies)
5:30 We Travel in the Faith
6:00 Vespers
6:30 The Holy Rosary
7:00 Chronicles of Peace
8:00 To Speak with God
8:30 To Live in Christ
9:30 A Voice That Clamors in the Desert
10:00 The Rosary (the mysteries change each half hour)
12:00 Repeats of the day`s programming
You will note that, starting at 5 p.m. daily, excepting Vespers, the
programs are a repeat of the programs of the morning and afternoon.
There is a great deal of Rosary, more than from any other Catholic
radio station we have seen in these pages, more even than from Radio
Maria. The Rosary is prayed 11:30 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 6:30
to 7 p.m., 10 p.m. to midnight, 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., and 4 a.m. to 6
a.m. These recitations amount to 7.5 hours out of 24, surely a
commitment to praying the Rosary for peace!
Of interest, too, is that the programming apparently features very
little instructional programs that one finds spread through the
broadcast days of EWTN, Radios Maria, and similar stations. In all the
programming there is present that stated emphasis on peace, the raison
d`être of the station. ``The Devotion of the Day`` features that of
the Poor Souls on Mondays, the Angels on Tuesdays, St Joseph on
Wednesdays, the Eucharist on Thursdays, the Way of the Cross on
Fridays, and the Blessed Virgin on Saturdays. Sundays are dedicated to
the Trinity.
``Crónicas de Paz`` (Chronicles of Peace) is a teaching program,
offering the teachings of the Church on peace and Mariology. ``Hablar
con Dios`` (To Speak with God) is a meditation on the topics of the
scriptural readings from the day`s Holy Mass, with a view of
implementing them in everyday life. Santa María de La Paz is an
affiliate of EWTN`s Radio Católica Mundial and broadcasts special
programs from time to time.
Programs special to Sundays are ``The Liturgy of the Word`` at 6:30
a.m., ``Church Solidarity`` at 7 a.m., ``Dare to be a Saint`` at 4:30
p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. The rest of the day is pretty much like
the weekdays, and some of the programs are broadcast at the same times
they are broadcast during the weekdays. In short, one gets the
impression that the topics and programs offered by Santa María de La
Paz Radio are limited. The web pages offer much more and those who can
read Spanish will find a great number of subjects and pages to
interest them— on peace, on Mary, on art, on the Rosary, on
apparitions, and so on. Catholic Radio Update sent an e-mail asking
them to describe their new station and how it offered a distinctive
programming, but there was no answer.
Database
Medellín: HJXZ Radio Santa María de la Paz 1560 AM (1,000 watts).
Corporación Santa María de La Paz (s.f.l.) Calle 10, 42-22, Medellín.
Tel: +574 2662487. E-mail: webmaster@santamariadelapaz.org. Website:
http://www.santamariadelapaz.org/index.html
(Catholic Radio Update Dec 22 via DXLD)
** CUBA. Glenn, 9560, UT Sunday 0200, South Korea via Canada came
through loud and in the clear. No sign of jamming. Maybe someone
finally figured it out (John H. Carver Jr., Mid-North Indiana, Dec 21,
DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** CZECH REPUBLIC. Starting this season, R. Prague will introduce a
monthly quiz during the mailbag feature in the Sunday transmission.
They are also going to introduce a new mini feature on Czech science
(Edwin Southwell, England, Radio World, Dec World DX Club Contact via
DXLD)
** ETHIOPIA [non]. 7560, Dejen R., via Samara [RUSSIA], 1705-1735, Sat
Dec 13, Tigrinya talks about Ethiopia, Tygria, Somalia, some local
music, 1730 perfect ID, very good (Vaclav Korinek, RSA, via Dxplorer,
DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD). Has replaced 12120 where I have not
heard it since Nov 15 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, ibid.)
** GOA. 9819.9, AIR Pangim (approximate Portuguese pronunciation is
"pãzhi" with both vowels being nasal) (both Pangim and Panagi forms
are present in the AIR stations e-mail address list), 1316-1334, Dec
9, Indian Vernacular; 33442 with some QRM from a station on DRM mode
(Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** HAITI. HAITIAN POLICE SHUT DOWN OPPOSITION RADIO STATION
By MICHAEL NORTON The Associated Press 12/18/03 6:37 PM
http://wizzer.advance.net/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0799_BC_Haiti-RadioRaid&&news&newsflash-internationa
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Police stormed and shut down a pro-
opposition radio station, smashing studio equipment in what they said
was a search for weapons, witnesses said Thursday.
Police later displayed guns and grenades they said were found
Wednesday on the roof of Radio Maxima in the northern city of Cap-
Haïtien. State-run television reported 11 people were arrested,
including station employees.
The raid came as police shot and killed a teenage boy Wednesday during
clashes with anti-government protesters in the northern town of Trou
du Nord, independent Radio Metropole reported.
Demonstrators in Trou du Nord went on to torch several government
buildings, including the telephone company and city hall, according to
radio reports.
State-run television showed items that police said they seized,
including two assault rifles, a pistol, grenades and camouflage
fatigues.
Police spokeswoman Daphne Orlando, in the capital of Port-au-Prince,
said she didn't immediately have information about the raid.
Tensions between supporters and opponents of President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide are on the rise in Haiti. At least 22 people have died in
protests since mid-September.
Radio Maxima's owner, Jean-Robert Lalane, survived an assassination
attempt by an unknown gunman on Nov. 25, and the station has been
threatened repeatedly by government partisans for its calls on
Aristide to step down.
Aristide has said he opposes violence and favors a free press. But
Haitian media groups accuse police of regularly harassing journalists.
This year, the France-based group Reporters Without Borders placed
Haiti 100th in its press freedom ranking of 166 countries. Some 30
Haitian journalists have gone into self-imposed exile in the past two
years after receiving threats.
Haiti's government and opposition have been locked in disagreement
since flawed 2000 legislative elections that the opposition says were
rigged.
Aristide's opponents have stepped up protests in recent weeks, and the
government accuses them of trying to spoil state-sponsored
celebrations Jan. 1 on the 200th anniversary of Haiti's independence
from France (via Mike Cooper, DXLD)
** INDONESIA. 4925, RRI Jambi with news in Indonesian till 2315 Dec
11. Music program with dangdut songs till 2330. IS of the station and
ID. News read by OM . Signal S3, 33333. Also heard at 2200 on 12-12
with S3 but 24232 (Zacharias Liangas, 11+12.12, Retziki, Thessaloniki,
Greece, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** INDONESIA. 4790.0, RRI Fak-Fak, 2112-2215 (fade out), Dec 15 and
16, rare catch here with long talks in Bahasa Indonesia, native songs,
2129 interval signal on string instrument and clear ID: ``Radio
Republik Indonesia`` followed by probable local news read by man and
woman, 24442 when best on Dec 15, weaker on Dec 16 (Anker Petersen,
Denmark, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** INTERNATIONAL. 2003 CLANDESTINE ACTIVITY SURVEY BY MATHIAS KROPF
The activity of political clandestine stations broadcasting on
shortwave has remained almost unchanged from one year ago and is now
at 1718 Weekly Broadcasting Hours (WBHs), down 14 WBHs from the
previous year.
Clandestine activity to target areas on the Asian continent has
increased by 8% to 1415 WBHs. On the African continent activity has
dropped by 48% to 125 WBHs. Activity to America and Oceania has
remained unchanged at 162 and 16 WBHs respectively.
The number of active target areas (countries) worldwide has decreased
by one to 21. When compared to one year ago, Kazakhstan, Cambodia,
South Korea and Somalia are no longer active, while Saudi Arabia,
Lebanon and Uganda are new or reactivated target areas.
The three most active target areas worldwide are Iraq with 748 WBHs
(+252 when compared with one year ago - the highest activity to a
single target area since this survey was started back in 1986), North
Korea with 217 WBHs (unchanged) and Afghanistan with 189 WBHs (+52).
(via Cumbre DX via DXLD)
** INTERNATIONAL INTERNET. LISTENING ONLINE IS ABOUT TO TAKE OFF.
Yinka Adegoke reports on a radio revolution
Monday December 15, 2003, The Guardian
In one of the more unusual examples of the BT Broadband campaign to
encourage take-up of faster internet access, a drawing of a man is
shown lugging a desktop PC on his shoulder. The message is that
broadband can enable your PC to become a radio. And with Oftel's
announcement last week that more than 3 million people in the UK now
have broadband, the likelihood of online radio finally moving into the
mainstream is becoming very high.
Industry watchers believe online radio will be a significant
beneficiary of the growth in broadband access. In the US, where there
is a far more mature broadband market, online radio listening has
rocketed. The latest Arbitron/Edison Media Research study into
internet audio/video usage in the US shows that one out of five
Americans, aged 12 and older, have used internet audio or video in the
past two months...
http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,1106992,00.html
(via Mike Terry, DXLD)
** INTERNATIONAL VACUUM. SATELLITE RADIO EXTENDS ITS ORBIT
By DAVID POGUE Published: December 18, 2003
RADIO is awesome, isn't it? It's free, it's on whenever you want it,
and you can choose from among eight or 10 stations. About the only
people who could possibly complain about it, in fact, are people who
have to listen to it.
They'll tell you that the music you hear on the radio is mostly the
same cloying pop junk, played over and over. That 20 minutes of every
hour is ads, played over and over. And that as you drive, the signal
comes and goes with the territory.
Two years ago, two companies - XM and Sirius - came up with the same
solution: pay radio. Each went to the trouble of blasting private
satellites into orbit. Each beams 100 channels of clean, static-proof
digital sound down to XM and Sirius receivers in the cars and home
stereos of monthly subscribers.
So why would people pay for radio, when they have a free alternative?
Because satellite radio is fantastic - a cultural source unlike any
other. It's so addictive, the Sirius manual actually refers to its
customers as "users." . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/18/technology/circuits/18stat.html?ex=1072781139&ei=1&en=0d3e622098b4eb89
(NY Times via Richard Cuff, swprograms via DXLD)
** ITALY [non?]. Sorry for the last minute news. We are running an
unscheduled test using 100 kW on 13840 kHz Shortwave in anticipation
of the special Christmas programs for IRRS-Shortwave using 250 kW that
will take place on Dec 24 and 25. (more on this with a separate
message).
We are on the air with special Christmas programs on 13840 kHz using
100 kW from 0900 to 1300 UT on Sunday Dec. 21, 2003. It`s actually the
first time we use high power broadcasts on this frequency. Reception
reports are very welcome. Please email them to: reports @ nexus.org -
Thanks. 73, (Ron Norton, NEXUS/IBA/IRRS, Dec 21, Cumbredx mailing list
via DXLD)
** JAPAN. NHK World Radio Japan present a live entertainment programme
series from six different prefectures, presented in front of a public
audience. Each features a pair of guest singers and music by local
bands and introduces local specialities and characteristic aspects of
Japanese life, which differs from one area to another. The live
programme on Sat Feb 7, 2004 is from the Yoshiumi Community Hall,
Yoshiumi Town, ``Hello from Ehime`` (Arthur Ward, Radio World, Dec
World DX Club Contact via DXLD) so every two months? (gh)
** JAPAN [non]. Hmm, got this email as below. The only reason I
mention this, as the cult was on shortwave, I think via a Russian
transmitter. I didn't get a QSL from this lot, but any on the
reflectors that did? Didn't the bloke who ran it got the chop, for
that subway massacre? anyway anyone got the book? Any reference to
shortwave transmissions (Johno Wright, The Producer, Australian Radio
DX Club, via DXLD) Viz.:
Dear Sir/Madam, Recommending a new book on defeating cult terrorism in
Japan, which may be of interest to readers always in search of unique
and new literature especially as some of the cult's activities were
conducted in Australia.
AUM SHINRIKYO --- JAPAN'S UNHOLY SECT
I am the author of a book on the Japanese cult, Aum Shrinrikyo [sic]
which released sarin nerve gas into a Tokyo subway system in 1995
killing and injuring thousands. It was considered an act of terrorism
from a cult whose belief was the destruction of mankind. The deadly
cult, Aum Shinrikyo, is still on the United States list of terrorists
and below is a brief synopsis of this book ``Aum Shinrikyo --- Japan's
Unholy Sect" and after the Sept 11th incident, the issue of terrorism
has become a topic of great concern to everyone.
It is a chilling story of terror, murder and atrocities committed in
the name of twisted religious beliefs, the forerunner of Sept 11th,
long before terrorism became the business of everyone committed to
live in peace and safety. The cult extended their activities to
Australia when Shoko Asahara, the founder, purchased a farm in
Australia to test sarin on animals.
A little about this book:
On the 26th of March 1995, sarin gas was released in a Tokyo subway
station crammed with morning rush hour commuters and all hell broke
loose. In the aftermath of anguish, death, painful injuries and broken
lives, the deadly action was traced back to a cult called Aum
Shinrikyo. What lay behind this ferocious lashing the cult had given
to the orderly, uncluttered society Japan was so proud of? What dark
sinister secrets lay behind the walls of the Aum Shinrikyo compound in
Kamikuishiki?
Tsutsumi Sakamoto, a Yokohama lawyer took up the challenge of finding
answers to these questions and one cold, gray November morning in
1995, the young attorney, his wife and ten month old son disappeared
without a trace. This is the chilling story of how a young lawyer
sacrificed his life and that of his poignantly young family to stem
the reign of terror of the cult's guru, Shoko Asahara. He spoke out
from his lonely hillside grave and was heard at last after six long
years.
He had died to right a social wrong; the rest was up to the living.
This book is available from:
Tower Books Pty Ltd
Unit 2/17 Rodborough Road Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
Australia (Mr Michael Rakusin)
Tel: 61 2 99755566 Fax: 61 2 99755599
email: miker @ towerbooks.com.au Thank you kindly for reading this
mail. Regards (via Johno Wright, ripple via DXLD)
** KASHMIR [non]. Cland, 6100, R. Sedaye Kashmir, talks by OM in Hindi
or Hindi like language, 1506 with interval music. 1512 talks by OM and
possible ID Radio Sedaye? Signal S7 on 18.12. On 19.12 at 1438 with a
Hindi song then with religious like chanting. Signal suffers from DRM?
Signal (Zacharias Liangas, 11+12.12, Retziki, Thessaloniki, Greece, DX
LISTENING DIGEST)
** LATVIA. Radio Marabu wird am 25. Dezember 2003 von 14.00 bis 16.00
Uhr deutscher Zeit (13.00 bis 15.00 Uhr UTC) mit seinem
Weihnachtsprogramm auf Kurzwelle auf der Frequenz 9290 kHz zu hören
sein. Eure Moderatoren der Weihnachtsparty sind Marcel Fischer und
Frank Göbel.
Radio Marabu transmit this year`s Christmas program on shortwave on
the 25th of December 2003 from 1400 up to 1600 hours German time (1300
up to 1500 hours UT) on 9290 via Latvia. Your hosts are Marcel Fischer
and Frank Göbel.
RADIO MARABU e.V. - Postfach 1166 - D 49187 Belm - Germany
Tel.: 05406/899484 -- Fax: 05406/899485
E-mail: marabu@radio-marabu.de -- Homepage: http://www.radio-marabu.de
Europe´s radio station for alternative music
(SW pirates egroup via Jem Cullen, Australia, ripple via DXLD)
** MEXICO. Eduardo Corona, an XE1 ham who says he has a good antenna
system, wants to set up a modest SW broadcast station. Thinks the
current government may be more open to such an idea (interviewed by
Jeff White at the 9th Mexican DX Meeting, last July-August, Tizayuca,
Hidalgo, on Viva Miami, via Radio NASB on WRMI UT Sun Dec 21 at 0330
on 7385, notes by Glenn Hauser for DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** MOLDOVA. 5960, R Pridnestrovya, Tiraspol, *1700-1740*, heard
regularly in December Mo-Fr with strong signal here in Denmark. I sent
a reception report a year ago to Radio Pridnestrovya DMR, ul. Rozy
Lyuksemburg 10, MD 3300 Tiraspol, Moldova and in June I got the first
letter in English thanking me for the report and signed by no less
than four persons! On Dec 13 I received the real QSL-letter with full
data signed and stamped by ``Mr Vlad Butuk, Chairman of QSL-Buro``.
Below the QSL on the A-4 paper is their full schedule written in
English and on the backside is a detailed map of the long and narrow
break-away and unrecognized DMR Republic (about 30 km wide and 250 km
long) with text in Russian.
Mr Vlad who is ``engineer of technician servis`` wrote in an enclosed
note in beginners English: ``Sorry, but we have to kept your waiting.
Some problems before. Now is all OK. Many thank`s for reception
report. We hope you will listening our radiobroadcast next time. All
the best to you and your family. Merry Christmas!``.
According to the QSL-letter the broadcast schedule ``Radio DMR`` is:
549 kHz 150 kW Broad band 0500-0530 Russian
999 kHz 500 kW Art-150 1800-1830 Russian
5960 kHz 1000 kW Sgdra rotation Mo-Fr 1700-1742 English/French/German
74 MHz 200 W Ver polarization Everyday Russian/Ukrainian/Moldavian
100.7 MHz 200 W Ver polarization 0357-1000 1200-0100 `` `` ``
105.0 MHz 1500 W Ver polarization 0357-1000 1200-0100 `` `` ``
106.0 MHz 1000 W Ver polarization Everyday `` `` ``
106.4 MHz 1000 W Ver polarization 0600-2200 `` `` ``
E-mail: radiopmr @ inbox.ru Website: http://www.president-pmr.org
Reception here was very poor on 5960 during the summer, so it is time
now to send them a reception report! (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI
DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** NAMIBIA. Both 6060 and 6175 are on 24 hours. Heard Dec 3 with good
strength and modulation. 6175 has been off for the past day or two,
but noted back on Dec 16 (Vaclav Korinek, RSA via Dxplorer, DSWCI DX
Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** NETHERLANDS. Radio Netherlands has traditionally been an excellent
verifier, usually sending a QSL within two weeks for an email
reception report. However, since their budget crises began last
summer, I haven't received a QSL from them. I sent an email reception
report for the Madagascar relay on October 6. No reply yet. I hope
they have not instituted a non-QSL policy. (I'm also watching for a
QSL for my latest Radio Netherlands reception report, sent on
November 25 by regular mail with an IRC.) (Andrew Lisowski,
Springfield, VA, Dec 19, swl at qth.net via DXLD)
Andrew, Thank you for the information. I received a QSL from Radio
Netherlands several months ago, as did my grandson, Brandon. They are
still verifying reports. It was sent by e-mail and the turnaround time
was three months (Duane W8DBF Fischer, MI, swl at qth.net via DXLD)
** NEW ZEALAND. RNZI confirmed on new 9870 before and after 1500 UT
Dec 21; good here, should hold up later than 6095. Not 9770 as I saw
listed somewhere (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NORWAY. The last broadcast from the Norwegian SW transmitters will
be on Dec 31 at 2230-2255 (R Denmark) on 7465 (Kvitsøy) and 7560
(Sveiø). Some technicians at Kvitsøy have been dismissed, but the
future of the equipment has not yet been decided (Erik Køie, Denmark,
Dec 4, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** PAKISTAN. 5080.3, R Pakistan, Islamabad, 1635-1650, Nov 30, English
current affairs program with reports on Afghanistan and Taliban, good
(Vaclav Korinek, RSA, in Dxplorer, Dec 03, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via
DXLD)
WRTH 2004 says the News & Current Affairs program on SW is scheduled:
0200-0400 on 6205, 1300-1800 on 5080, both 100 kW Islamabad, in Urdu
and English. Specific times for English not specified; can anyone find
out? (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** PHILIPPINES. 9580.5, PBS, Marulas, Valenzuela (= Metropolitan
Manila) has transmitter problems. On Nov 25 they suddenly signed off
at 1004*. On other days they are heard on 9619v instead (Roland
Schulze, Philippines, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** ROMANIA. Radio Romania International is very friendly to SWLers.
They still have a Listener's Club with certificates and a different
QSL every month (Andrew Lisowski, Springfield, VA, swl at qth.net via
DXLD)
I had all sorts of problems getting a verification from Romania. No
answers to e-mail inquiries, ever. I sent several reception reports by
air mail with two IRC, nothing. A year went by. I finally sent them
another e-mail and was not quite so polite, reminding them I had been
totally ignored for over a year. Two weeks later I received a letter
apologizing for their oversights, but no verification. However, they
did assure me one was coming soon. It never arrived.
I contacted them again. No e-mail reply. About a month later a QSL did
arrive. The post mark indicated it was mailed ten days before, so it
was not a case of being lost somewhere in the mail system. Shortly
after that I received another letter, an apology for their delay and a
second QSL card. They do try, but apparently it is kind of a hit and
miss operation there (Duane W8DBF Fischer, MI, swl @ qth.net via DXLD)
** RUSSIA. 7325, Adygey R., Maykop, full data bilingual (that is
Adyghian and Russian) card in 5 weeks, v/s Sima Bagova. Address as
per WRTH/Passport except the postal code is 385000 instead of 352700
(Vaclav Korinek via Dxplorer, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD) Thus
the correct postal address is: ul. Lenina 54-83, 385000 Maykop, Resp.
Adygeya, Russia (DSWCI Ed., ibid.)
** SEYCHELLES [non]. FEBA Radio B'03 schedule changes wef 5th Dec 2003
--------------------------------------------------------
1200-1230 smtwtfs TIBETAN 15240 DHA (ex 15170)
1400-1415 smtwt.. URDU India 9885 DHA (ex via Armavair)
1400-1500 .....fs HINDI 9885 DHA (ex via Armavair)
1415-1500 smtwt.. HINDI 9885 DHA (ex via Armavair)
1903-1957 smtwtfs ARABIC 9605 KIG (Added)
1730-1745 s....fs AMHARIC 6180 DHA (Deleted)
Regds, (Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi, India, Dec 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** SOLOMON ISLANDS. This article mentions SIBS shortwave....
TUNED IN TO THE GOOD OIL
20.12.2003 - By MARY LOUISE O'CALLAGHAN
Sunday December 21, 2003
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3540394&thesection=news&thesubsection=world
Solomon Islanders in the border province of Choiseul listen avidly to
a session of Talking True [sic] Pic: Mary-Louise O'Callaghan [caption]
All eyes might be on the swarm of giant black butterflies that has
just fluttered in through the open sides of the tropical leaf hut, but
all ears this morning are tuned to Talking Truth, the live talkback
radio programme which for the past five months has enabled Solomon
Islanders to exchange information about the Australian-led
intervention into their country.
This particular morning the programme has relocated to the remote
province of Choiseul, close to the Solomons` maritime border with
Bougainville.
And the questions are coming not from anonymous phone callers but from
a live audience of more than 100 people gathered in and around the
local police leaf house.
It's just after 10 am but already the steam is rising off the ground
and the sun glancing off the blue seas surrounding this remote island
community which, like the rest of the Solomons, relies on radio for
virtually all their information about what is going on in their
country. (They do not have a television station.)
One of the first to ask a question is Alpha Kimata, a former member of
Parliament who was finance minister at the time of the 2000 coup.
Many of the questions contain vital nuggets of information for three
men, the leaders of the intervention who form the Talking Truth panel
today: the civilian co-ordinator of the regional assistance mission to
Solomon Islands, Nick Warner; the Australian Federal Police assistant
commissioner Ben McDevitt, and Colonel Quentin Flowers, who is
commanding the regional military contingent.
A young Solomon Islands police officer, John Foru, asks what is going
to be done to assist the police in remote provinces such as Choiseul.
They have been trying to cope for more than a decade with the
spillover from the Bougainville conflict while experiencing a chronic
lack of funds, transport and manpower.
McDevitt takes the microphone, explaining the plans to radically
reform and revitalise the police force and how he hopes he can bring
other government agencies back in to play their roles in monitoring
the border. Heads nod in approval.
Talking Truth is the brainchild of communication strategist Kate
Graham and, like the intervention itself, has proved something of a
breath of fresh air for Solomon Islanders who have spent a good part
of the past four years getting the real news by reading between the
lines of the sole daily newspaper, the Solomon Star, or listening to
the latest rumours sweeping the local market.
Returning this year to run the information campaign of the Solomon
Islands Government's Intervention Taskforce, Graham drew on her
experience working for institutions from both sides of the Solomons
conflict, first with the Solomon Islands Peace Monitoring Council, who
in 2000 had to implement a now-defunct peace agreement, and then last
year with the much maligned Royal Solomon Islands Police, some of whom
had taken part in the coup.
She knew immediately that Solomon Islanders needed to be able to hear
information about the intervention straight from the horse's mouth
from a neutral, non-political source they could trust.
"Talking Truth strips back the spin," says Graham. "The information is
taken straight to the people without interpretation or middlemen.
"People in towns and villages put forward questions and the men and
women making the news - Australians, New Zealanders, Pacific
Islanders, Solomon Islanders - answer them live."
It's proved to be a lively two-way exchange which, like any live
programme, has had its surprises.
In one of the first programmes, a caller confronted Solomon Islands
Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza over his alleged involvem[ent in?]
murder.
"Keep him on the line," mouthed McDevitt, according to the show's
moderator, the savvy Solomon Islands journalist, Dorothy Wickham.
Ben then quietly left the studio to take the call in another room, not
realising that all the while he was conducting his impromptu interview
of the witness, he was also holding up the only line for calls into
the show.
Wickham's no-nonsense style and her journalist's instinct to probe has
helped to give Talking Truth its edge. And its credibility.
Johnson Honimae, general manager of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting
Corporation, which broadcasts Talking Truth twice a week, believes the
programme has played a central role in Solomon Islanders'
understanding and acceptance of the intervention.
"The Talking Truth programme has become a household name in the past
several months," says Honimae, who is a former broadcast journalist
himself.
When a three-week gun amnesty was declared soon after the arrival of
the intervention forces in August, the programme proved a crucial
means for communicating not only the progress in the collection of
weapons but the clear message that this was the last chance for people
to hand in a weapon without facing the full force of the law, says
Paul Tovua, the chairman of the intervention taskforce ultimately
responsible for the show and a regular participant in it.
"We were able to get the message out very clearly that this was the
last opportunity to hand in their weapons," says Tovua.
Because SIBC broadcasts on short-wave throughout the entire Solomons
archipelago its reach is nationwide.
"I've had people in deepest Malaita say to me, 'I heard that on
Talking Truth'," says Peter Noble, the New Zealand defence official,
who is the deputy special co-ordinator of the Regional Assistance
Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), as the intervention is officially
known.
A programme regular, Noble says he has witnessed a change in people's
level of understanding of the intervention since he first arrived in
July, largely as a result of Talking Truth.
"When we first came here I think there was quite a bit of anxiety
about what is RAMSI, what are they going to do and what does this
really mean for Solomon Islands?
"Talking Truth was one of the only mediums we had of at least getting
the messages out to the people and satisfying their need for knowledge
in the face of curiosity and anxieties."
Issues aired have been as diverse as why there was a need to recruit a
greater percentage of women into the police force to what the
stabilisation of budget finances means to the man or woman in the
street, says Graham.
There have also been occasions when the programme has provided timely
feedback for the leaders of the intervention, giving them insight into
how their actions are being interpreted by Solomon Islanders.
Now the first stage of the intervention has successfully stabilised
the security situation, a question repeatedly coming up in the latest
programmes is what is the intervention doing about the endemic
corruption that has so affected public life in the Solomons over the
past decade or more.
Taking the microphone more often than not to answer this particular
question is Warner.
A former director of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs,
Public Relations branch, he recognised from the start that the support
of Solomon Islanders was crucial to the success of the intervention.
"Just as important as locking up the guns or the criminals, has been
communicating the purpose of all this to ordinary Solomon Islanders,"
Warner said. "If we get that right, we're more than halfway there."
* Mary-Louise O'Callaghan is based in the Solomon Islands; she has
been covering the South Pacific for the past 16 years. Copyright 2003,
NZ Herald (Via Kim Elliott, DXLD) So WHEN is it on??? Sometime in the
local morning, when there would not be much DX propagation on 5020
** SOMALIA. 6980.0, R. Gaalkacyo, 1725-1732*, Nov 30, local music,
Somali talks, prayers, weak and poor (Vaclav Korinek, RSA in Dxplorer,
DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
** SURINAME. 4990.0, R Apintie, Paramaribo, 0355-0450, Dec 13, various
music (North American, Caribbean, Latin American), ID 0448 "Radio
Apintie" in Dutch, 35443. Reactivated here after a long absence! The
station confirmed my reception report sent by e-mail in 36 hours. V/S:
Charles Vervuurt, Director Radio Apintie, P. O. Box 595, Verl.
Gemenelansweg #37; Tel 597 400450; Fax 597 400684; Email apintie @
sr.net (Samuel Cássio, Brasil, Dec 16, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via
DXLD)
Also tentatively heard 0645-0700 (fading out), Dec 16, fast talk by
two men, ex 4990.9, 14221 (Anker Petersen, Denmark, DSWCI DX Window
Dec 17 via DXLD) Also heard 0857-0900, Dec 14, Christmas music, nice
ID at 0858, then man in Dutch mentioned "meter band." Talk 0900, then
mix of religious music and talk. Decent signal, better than I remember
them from before. A treat to hear Dutch from South America again!
(Jerry Berg, MA, DSWCI DX Window Dec 17 via DXLD)
4989.98, R. Apintie, 21 Dec 0748-0815, Nothing but nonstop music,
including "Silent Night" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Was
fairly good at the start, but strength dropped way down after 0800 and
was barely audible at 0815. Frequency seemed to vary slightly as well
(Dave Valko, PA, Cumbredx mailing list via DXLD)
** TAIWAN. Hi, At the end of November I heard two unidentified
Taiwanese stations, one on 1368 kHz and the other on 1476 kHz. They
were both having talk show programs and phone ins, talking mostly in
Taiwanese dialect, but also adding some Mandarin. The only
'identification' which I was able to get was 'AM yi-san-liu-ba' (i.e.
"AM 1-3-6-8") from the station on 1368 kHz. Programming was not
religious. On 1368 kHz the program was about beauty skin care
products, on 1476 the show was about going to work, talk about the
work, is it boring etc. Does anyone know the identity of these two
stations? I suspect they both are from Taipei. Very many thanks for
any help, Kind regards, (Jim Solatie, Finland, dxing.info via DXLD)
1368 is former AM 1593 Buddhist station, QTH Kaohsiung, website:
http://www.am1386.com.tw It is renamed as Voice of Jinxi. And 1476 is
clandestine station, more and more pirate station appear around the
island. There are more than 5 stations logged in Taipei QTH. BTW:
2100-2300 UT will broadcast Buddhism program and music. Hope you can
easily ID it (Miller Liu, Taibei, Dec 20, ibid.)
Thank you, Miller, very much for your comments and help! Do you have
any contact information to the station on 1476 kHz? I would also like
to ask which other frequencies are used by these clandestine stations
in Taipei? Kind regards, (Jim Solatie, Espoo, Finland, Sat Dec 20,
ibid.)
1476 is transmitted from Kaohsiung, S of Taiwan. The only contact info
is vending hotline 886-7-3309077 and 886-7-5363333. Such stations
don't announce their name, address. Mostly, the programs are all in
Taiwanese. Durg vending is the only content. I had deleted my pirate
log, but they usually broadcast above 1000 kHz. I'll keep the log for
you later. [Later:]
During local daytime, I log only two pirate MW station in Taipei --
972 and 1458. The latter one listen understandable in NFM mode.
Vending hotline is respectly 886-2-89825599 and 886-2-29769887. Once
shift to next program timeslot, vending hotline will change too
(Miller Liu, Dec 21, ibid.)
** UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC [and non]. CAIRO CLANDESTINE ANGERED THE
BRITISH (historical)
Inflammatory broadcasts from Cairo's "Voice of Free Africa"
clandestine station were a thorn in the flesh of the British Foreign
Office in the late 1950s, according to recently released UK government
documents.
The documents also reveal that Foreign Office (FO) mandarins were
equally perturbed by the tone of Radio Cairo's offial broadcasts to
"British Africa" and that they kept a close watch on clandestine radio
developments in the Middle East.
In a "submission" date 19 November 1959, a Mr Hopson of the FO
observed that, "the so-called 'Voice of Free Africa" transmits for 40
minutes daily in Swahili. Although this station (about which the
Egyptians allege they have no knowledge) claims to be situated 'in the
heart of Africa', it is known to be broadcasting on a Cairo Radio
frequency. It has been heard since 1957.
"Its programme, introduced by drumbeats, consists of horn music
followed by a political talk. These talks are vitriolic in tone
(Europeans are invariably referred to as 'white dogs') and are
designed to encourage racial hatred and incite Africans to violence
and rebellion. Their effectiveness may be to some extent limited by
the Swahili used".
In a typical broadcast, speaking about the British colony of Kenya,
the station is quoted as saying:
"The imperialist dogs of Kenya, together with the settlers, are now
doing their best to kill the fight for freedom ...The new intrigue
hatched by the Government of Kenya and the settler dogs will be
destroyed and will fail because of the strength of the struggle and
fight for freedom which is spreading ..."
In the same submission, Mr Hopson speaks about "the fuss which the
Egyptians have been making" about the "comparatively harmless BBC
Arabic broadcasts" and adds that "it (is) worthwhile to draw attention
to the much more objectionable broadcasts from Cairo Radio to British
Africa."
He adds: "Cairo Radio broadcasts daily in Swahili, Somali and Arabic
for listeners in the Horn and British East Africa. These broadcasts
are designed to sow dissension and to create anti-British feeling.
They are not only offensive in tone but frequently contain grossly
distorted and inaccurate accounts of events in British territories.
"While they have been continuing in this vein for several years, their
violence has in no way abated in recent months. Thus, it seems certain
that the UAR Government (meaning United Arab Republic, a union between
Egypt and Syria) has in no way withdrawn or circumscribed the free
hand given to Cairo Radio to attack and undermine the British position
in East Africa".
In another document, dated 6th April 1959, a Mr Carless of the FO
reported that:
"An anti-Qasim clandestine radio called the Voice of Free Iraq ... was
heard yesterday broadcasting on 9770 kcs. at 1715 GMT. We are trying
to obtain a fix on its location. The most likely presumption is that
station is under UAR control and situated in Syria." (Note "Qasim"
(one of several spellings for the name) was the pro-Soviet leader of
Iraq)
There is also a copy of an FO telegram to the British Embassy in
Tehran concerning a "new clandestine radio" broadcasting to Iran. The
telegram, summarizing a BBC monitoring report, said:
"A station identifying itself as the National Voice of Iran
broadcasting in Persian was intercepted when it signed on at 1800 GMT
today on 6025 kc/s with good reception. The station announced that it
broadcasts on 50 metres daily at 1800 and 1900 GMT."
The Tehran embassy cabled the next day that: "Iranian authorities are
worried about this station, which can be heard clearly in Tehran, and
we understand in many other parts of Iran. Indications are that it is
being listened to widely. ...As from this morning, station is
reportedly jammed by an Iranian station. General belief is that
clandestine station is located in Southern Caucasus, East of Julfa."
The documents also report the start of Radio Prague's broadcasts to
Africa and a suggestion, from the BBC at Caversham, "that the French
in Algeria are jamming Cairo broadcasts to the Maghreb" (Roger Tidy,
UK)
** U S A. I realized while driving 35 miles into work on Monday
morning that I had another senior moment in writing the Commentary on
the purchase of CX12 Radio Oriental 770 AM in Montevideo, Uruguay. I
said that it was the frequency of the old National Broadcasting
Company flagship station in New York City, WEAF, later WNBC (and for a
brief period in the 1950`s, WRCA). Wrong. The old NBC station
frequency was 660 AM; the 770 AM clear channel frequency was that of
WJZ, also owned by NBC. Let me explain. Until 1943, the National
Broadcasting Company owned two networks, NBC Red and NBC Blue,
supposedly named for the color on the toggle switches on the master
control board in Rockefeller Center. In 1942 the FCC ruled against one
company owning more than one network, and forced NBC to sell one of
them. It chose to sell the weaker, NBC Blue, to Edward J. Noble, who
renamed it the American Broadcasting Company. WJZ, the NBC Blue
network flagship station, became WABC 770 AM about 1950. After the
decline of network radio, ABC made it into a top 40 station, and next
to WTIX 1450 AM & 690 AM New Orleans, it is probably the most famous
Top 40 station ever. So, 770 AM is WABC, not WNBC. In any event, it
was not so long ago that I would never have made this kind of mistake;
you could name any city of size in the country and many small ones and
I could give you at least some of the radio stations by call letters.
My memory is not what it used to be, and now I must check every thing.
Learn from me and don`t get old.
Curiously, the major networks all owned clear channel stations of
50,000 watts in New York City during the glory days of network radio:
NBC Red had WEAF 660 AM, NBC Blue (later ABC) had WJZ 770 AM, and CBS
had WABC 880 AM (this WABC had nothing to do with the WABC of the
American Broadcasting Company; the original WABC 880 AM was on 860 AM
at first and was owned by the Atlantic Broadcasting Corp., hence the
call letters), --- all curiously with a single double-digit frequency
--- 660, 770, 880! The Mutual Broadcasting System station was 50,000-
watt WOR 710 AM, but it did not own WOR; the owner was the Bamberger
Broadcasting System. Some time about 1948, CBS became aware that its
flagship station`s WABC call letters were confusing the public. So, it
persuaded WCBS 1230 AM Springfield, Illinois (itself a very old
station founded by two men in 1922), to part with its call letters,
which the FCC then assigned to the CBS 880 AM station. The WABC call
letters would go in a year or two to the ABC station on 770 AM, and
WJZ was lost as a pioneer three-letter call until Westinghouse asked
the FCC to grant it to the Baltimore television station it bought in
1957. WEAF became WNBC, which it remained until General Electric
Corp., owner of NBC, sold the radio network to Westwood One, and the
flagship station WNBC was sold to Infinity Broadcasting Corp. in 1992,
which turned the 660 AM frequency to all-sports with the call letters
WFAN. Ironically, Infinity is owned by Viacom, which owns CBS! Fans of
Johnny Carson will remember the personal attacks he made on the
president of General Electric at the time.
A word about the Mutual Broadcasting System, gone with the wind.
Mutual was owned by several of its affiliates in the biggest markets,
hence the name; unlike with the other three networks, Mutual was owned
by (some of its) affiliates, not the other way around. In New York,
Bamberger`s WOR 710 AM was one of Mutual`s owners. Mutual never got
into television, and eventually that decision spelled its demise.
Westwood One bought the network, but it no longer operates although
Westwood still owns the name (Michael Dorner, Catholic Radio Update
Dec 22 via DXLD)
** U S A. RADIO SONIDERA -- 'PIRATE' RADIO IN THE BARRIO
Pacific News Service, News Feature, Marcelo Ballvé, Dec 18, 2003
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=9623245bcca0d53be6086e6cb9c69c5c
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Walking unsteadily across an Oakland rooftop,
26-year-old Wilson Barriga Posada holds an eight-foot radio tower in
his arms.
He wields it like a clunky, high-tech javelin, planting it near the
edge of the roof so that he can dangle wires to his sound system on
the sidewalk. Posada's plan for the day: a do-it-yourself FM radio
music broadcast, in Spanish. His target audience: the heavily Latino
Fruitvale section of Oakland.
His style is the underground, DJ-driven sonido style, which combines
dashes of techno and hip-hop to a musical foundation based on tropical
rhythms like cumbia and salsa. Posada says Sonido is "authentic" and
popular with Latinos, but virtually non-existent on commercial
Spanish-language radio.
"Pirate" radio, or "microradio," as its advocates prefer, has strong
roots in Northern California. Free Radio Berkeley, the most well-known
microradio venture, was founded in 1993 by activist Stephen Dunifer
and ceased operating in 1998 after a legal battle with the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC).
Other micro-power broadcasters, such as Berkeley Liberation Radio and
San Francisco Liberation Radio, have been battling to stay on-air.
Posada, a former Free Radio Berkeley DJ, says that in the 1990s he saw
a need for Spanish-language microradio to bring the movement's ethos
to a more diverse audience.
"The fact is that the so-called minority, now majority, communities
that are here in California, the people that really need these
(microradio) projects to be working for them. We weren't connecting
with them." he says. In April 2003 Posada launched his Radio Sonidera
102.5 FM in Fruitvale, with help from Dunifer and other microradio
activists.
For now, Radio Sonidera broadcasts only on weekends. Sometimes Posada
broadcasts from behind a mobile taquería in a parking lot; at other
times it's the bed of a beat-up pickup that Posada's off-and-on
technical adviser, Ruben Tomar, uses to wheel around the equipment.
On an overcast Saturday last month, Posada, who wears his hair buzzed
with a bushy rattail sprouting from the back, broadcast in Fruitvale's
shopping district in front of a café. Sympathetic owners let him plant
the antenna on the roof. Posada says he doesn't mind the risk such
visibility entails for a microradio operator.
Latino families gathered around to watch the sidewalk show. Posada,
microphone in hand, intermittently shouted out his station call
letters, handed out promotional flyers to passersby and took cell
phone call requests. Meanwhile, he shuffled CDs in and out of a boom
box on a wobbly fold out table.
"Bueno, bueno, bueno," he'd say between songs. "Seguimos aquí en la
102.5 FM, en Fruitvale."
Posada grew up in a working class family in Mexico City. His parents
were migrants to the metropolis from two poor interior states,
Guanajuato and Michoacán. Posada immigrated to the United States by
himself at the age of 20 -- searching, he says, for the latest in
music, radio and media knowledge. He drifted through various musical
infatuations -- salsa, then punk, then, hip-hop, until he found the
sonidero style, which allowed him to combine it all.
Like the spontaneous music of the original Jamaican reggae DJs of the
1970s, the process of making in la música sonidera is an intrinsic
part of its identity. Sonido is created by charismatic DJs, the
sonideros, who perform in clubs in Mexican cities, especially in
Mexico City's peripheral neighborhoods, teeming colonias, and
increasingly in U.S. urban areas with large Latino populations.
Posada says much of his playlist is recordings of these concerts. The
sonideros interact with the audience as they speak over the tunes,
rhyming, cracking jokes, or intoning the fans' names. A danceable
cumbia or salsa track is mixed with other sounds -- everything from
electrónica to rap. Posada himself may play the role of a sonidero as
he talks over a track.
Sonideros' shows are burned onto CDs as they perform. After the show
the CDs are sold, "like tortillas, except more expensive," Posada
says. In turn, these CDs are copied and re-copied by fans.
The digital dissemination of the music means that sonideros can even
facilitate transnational communication.
Often, says Posada, a DJ in México will take a request and give a
"shout out" to an audience member's relative living in Los Ángeles or
elsewhere in the United States. As he lays down the tracks, the DJ
will sometimes say, appropriating an expression often used in a
derogatory way: "This one's going mojado-style, (wetback-style),
across the border."
"This music is not depending on commercial conduits to spread itself,"
says Posada, though he says some FM stations in Mexico City and L.Á.
are beginning to produce a slicker, more diluted version of the
sonidero style. Both sonidero music and microradio, he says, "are on
the margins of commercial music culture."
Tomar, Posada's occasional adviser, estimates that with 20-watt
capacity and no-frills equipment, Radio Sonidera potentially reaches
60,000 people.
That's no threat to Spanish-language media conglomerates like
Univisión, which has three FM frequencies in the area, but it's
definitely an alternative -- at least during the limited times when it
is on-air.
The FCC has cracked down on microradio stations this year, especially
in the San Francisco area. Meanwhile, recent FCC-approved rule changes
in media ownership, activists say, will make it harder for community-
based radio stations to secure a slice of the FM dial.
Posada wants to expand Radio Sonidera to include daily morning and
evening broadcasts. "If I succeed in what I am trying to do, then
that's a political statement of a kind -- that people like me won't be
smothered and disappear in anonymity." (via Mike Terry, DXLD)
** U S A. Topic: FCC PERMITS CERTAIN OBSCENITIES,
The f*#!-ing Golden Globe Awards! Posted: Dec. 16 2003, 11:02
In a recent television show, ``The Golden Globe Awards,`` one of the
winners came up to the microphone and said: ``Thanks for this
f----ing award!``
A torrent of complaints went out to the FCC and in a move that some
find incomprehensible, the commission has all but authorized the use
of the F-word so long as it does not depict sexual activities.
No, I`m not making this up. You can see the FCC`s actual statement on
the subject in a MEMORANDUM OPINION on the FCC`s website. Pay
particular attention to paragraph 5, where the use of the word is
rationalized.
This FCC opinion is not limited to commercial broadcasters. It in
fact applies to all such ``indecency laws`` and as a result, also to
amateur radio. So, the next time you hear someone using the F-word on
the air, just note that it`s a free speech issue, and a word which
the FCC says is OK, depending on the circumstances of it`s use and
whether or not there is an actual sexual connotation to the remark.
Personally, I don`t know how you can separate the two in the context
of the F-word, but, the FCC apparently has figured it out. It appears
that the Hollywood has again succeeded in lowering national community
standards by yet another notch. What`s next?
See: http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2003/DA-03-3045A1.html for the
complete opinion.
P.S. - Despite the FCC ruling, QRZ will continue to prohibit the use
of the word on this website.
-fred (Fred Lloyd, AA7BQ Founder, QRZ.COM via John Norfolk, DXLD)
see http://www.qrz.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=3&t=50857
for the beginning of the thread on this subject
** U S A. FCC`S POWELL FEELS THAT TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING TOO QUICKLY FOR
FCC RULES
FCC Chairman Michael Powell says that the telecommunications industry
needs to start with a clean slate when it comes to regulations.
Speaking recently at the University of California at San Diego,
Powell said that technologic innovation is happening so quickly now
that current rules can`t keep pace.
Powell went on to say that the result is a mishmash of regulations
that do not treat all technologies are equally. He says that the
situation is becoming even more complicated as companies begin to
offer a wide range of services using new technologies such as voice
over the Internet.
To help reshape regulation of the telecommunications market, Powell
said he would like to provide as much freedom as possible for
entrepreneurs interested in evolving technologies. You can read the
complete story on-line at
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/wed/business/news_1b10powell.html
(CGC via Amateur Radio Newsline December 19 via John Norfolk, DXLD)
** U S A. FCC SEEKS COMMENT ON SEPARATE ANTENNAS FOR IBOC
http://beradio.com/ar/radio_currents_47/index.htm#antennas
Washington - Dec 8, 2003 - On July 24, 2003, the National Association
of Broadcasters (NAB) submitted a report to the FCC regarding the use
of separate antennas for the analog and digital components of a hybrid
FM IBOC signal. The report includes field tests prepared by an ad hoc
technical group, and recommends that the Commission permit certain FM
stations implementing IBOC transmissions to use separate antennas for
analog and digital signals. The NAB report is available electronically
at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecf under MM Docket No. 99-325. The FCC
seeks comments on the conclusions and recommendations made by the NAB
report.
Stations may voluntarily initiate hybrid IBOC transmissions on
notification to the FCC. The initial grant of interim IBOC authority
restricted stations to use of facilities similar to those evaluated by
the National Radio Systems Committee. As a result, stations are
currently restricted to transmission systems that combine the digital
and analog signals into one antenna. Many broadcasters, however, have
expressed interest in using separate antennas for the analog and
digital signals. Separate antenna configurations can be more efficient
and less expensive than single-antenna designs. Consequently, the NAB
convened the ad hoc technical group to determine whether broadcasters
could use this approach without causing interference to the host
station’s analog signal or to other FM stations.
Based on the completed field tests, the NAB report proposes that the
FCC permit FM stations implementing IBOC operations to use separate
antennas for digital transmissions provided the following criteria are
met:
The digital transmission must use a licensed auxiliary antenna;
The auxiliary antenna must be within three seconds of latitude and
longitude of the main antenna;
The height above average terrain of the auxiliary antennas must be
between 70 and 100 percent of the height above average terrain of the
main antenna.
The report also recommends that the Commission authorize use of
antennas specially designed with interleaved or stacked elements for
analog and digital signals.
Comments are due on or before Jan. 8, 2004, and reply comments on or
before Jan. 23, 2004. Note: MM Docket No. 99-325 (via Art Blair, DXLD)
** U S A. COURT-TO-FBI: NO MONITORING OF IN-CAR CONVERSATIONS
A federal appeals court has ruled that the FBI and other police
agencies may not eavesdrop on conversations inside automobiles
equipped with dashboard communications systems. Amateur Radio
Newsline`s Norm Seeley, KI7UP, has the details:
The court decision stems from action brought in a case where the FBI
got the assistance of a vehicle monitoring company to monitor
conversations in a passenger car equipped with such a device. The
Appeals Court said a District judge was wrong to have granted the FBI
its request for the surreptitious monitoring.
David Sobel is the General Counsel at the Electronic Privacy
Information Center. He says that the problem the appeals court had
with the surveillance was not based on privacy grounds at all.
According to Sobel, the court deemed that the FBI was actually
interfering with the contractual relationship between the service
provider and the customer. In fact, it was doing so to the point that
the service was being interrupted. If the surveillance had been done
in a way that was seamless and undetectable, Sobel says the court
would have had no problem with it.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Norm Seeley, KI7UP, in Scottsdale
Arizona.
The decision is binding only in California, Oregon, Nevada,
Washington, Hawaii, and other states that fall within the 9th
Circuit`s jurisdiction. (CGC, C-Net, others via Amateur Radio
Newsline December 19 via John Norfolk, DXLD)
** ZIMBABWE. 6045, "R Zimbabwe" heard late 0130-0210 on Dec 12, very
nice African music with a male DJ. Some QRM from close channels but
overall from fair to good. No Asia. Also on 6035 no Bhutan but La Voz
del Guaviare (Giampiero Bernardini, Milano, Italy, DSWCI DX Window Dec
17 via DXLD)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PUBLICATIONS
++++++++++++
73 ARCHIVED
Buckmaster archiving 73 Amateur Radio Today on the Web: Buckmaster
Publishing is archiving the entire 43 years of 73 Amateur Radio Today
on the Web. 73 debuted in 1960 and ceased publication with its
September 2003 issue. Buckmaster now has a test version of what
eventually will become a fee-based service on its HamCall.net site
http://hamcall.net/cgi-bin/73.exe and invites comments from the
amateur community at info@buck.com (ARRL December 17 via John
Norfolk, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
SHORTWAVE AS MUSIC
++++++++++++++++++
WILLIAM BASINSKI, DISINTEGRATION LOOPS II (2062)
From CD review in City Pages (Minneapolis) weekly:
http://www.citypages.com/databank/24/1202/article11755.asp
The world doesn't end with a bang or a whimper -- it unravels slowly
with the crisp paper sound of a Chinese yo-yo held upside down. And
when it finally comes undone, William Basinski will be there to
capture it. Two years ago, just before September 11, the New York
sound artist rediscovered a collection of analog tape loops he had
mixed together from samples of shortwave radio static back in 1982.
When the Twin Towers fell, Basinski was in his Manhattan apartment,
digitally processing the magnetic tape, which had begun to
disintegrate due to its age. Playing those fragile compositions back,
he discovered an eerie meditation on the ephemeral relationship
between music and the mind. Just as each sad strophe expires, it loops
back upon itself like a memory that can't be removed -- proof that
some things take on permanent significance only in death. That the
only way to preserve something is to let it break down completely.
(via Kim Elliott, DXLD)
RADIO EQUIPMENT FORUM
+++++++++++++++++++++
ARRL SAYS HAM ANTENNAS DON`T HARM BIRDS
Amateur radio towers and antennas are not hazardous to migratory birds
and the ARRL has asked the FCC to exempt them from any environmental
regulations that the FCC might enact. This is the gist of a League
filing that has asked the regulatory agency to specifically exempt ham
radio installations from routine environmental processing relative to
their impact on these creatures. Our Avian specialist Joe Moell, K0OV,
has more:
As previously reported here on Amateur Radio Newsline, environmental
groups have claimed for years that broadcast, cellular and
communications towers and antennas are responsible for the wholesale
slaughter of migratory birds. According to their Web site,
TOWERKILL.COM, a single 1000-foot tower near Eau Claire, Wisconsin has
been shown to be responsible for over 121,000 bird deaths from 1957 to
1994, 123 different species in all. Based on an average of 1200 birds
per tall TV tower per year, one environmentalist claims 1.2 million
birds die every year by colliding with the towers and their extensive
guy wire systems, usually at night.
And that`s just the towers over 800 feet high. According to the
Federal Aviation Administration, as of 1998 there were almost 40,000
registered towers in the continental USA with height above ground
greater than 200 feet. Due to the rapid growth of the Personal
Communication Service industry, it is estimated that there are about
5000 new towers being erected every year.
The majority of tower kills are east of the Rocky Mountains and along
the Pacific Coast. Tall towers with extensive guy systems directly in
the spring and fall migratory paths are the worst offenders, but
environmentalists say that short towers on hilltops can be just as
bad. So why aren`t there piles of avian carcasses at the foot of most
tall towers? It`s because scavenger animals clean up the areas before
dawn.
Groups such as Forest Conservation Council and Friends of the Earth
took FCC to court for not having a sense of urgency in dealing with
this issue. This resulted in an FCC Notice of Inquiry released last
August wherein the FCC sought more information on the effects of
communications towers on migratory birds, and what new regulations,
if any, should be imposed. And the American Radio Relay League decided
to add itself to the list of about 250 commenters, to protect the
rights of radio amateurs.
According to the ARRL Letter, the League`s reply comments were filed
on December 1st. They point out that, according to studies by agencies
such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, communications towers below
400 feet are almost universally considered to be non-contributors in
the bird mortality issue. ARRL goes on to state that typical ham radio
fixed antennas and support structures range from 50 to 120 feet,
although a few may go as high as 200 feet. They rarely go any higher
because of the requirements to gain FAA approval and adhere to
government mandated painting and lighting requirements, not to mention
the cost and siting restrictions involved putting up such a massive
installation. Most ham towers are located mostly residential areas,
well away from the flight patterns of migratory birds.
The bottom line: The ARRL concludes that short, unlit ham radio
antennas should not be candidates for any additional regulation,
because they are not a threat to our fine feathered friends.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I`m Joe Moell, K0OV reporting.
The FCC Notice of Inquiry on bird safety drew upward of 250 responses
by the time the commentary period had closed. (ARRL, K0OV, Amateur
Radio Newsline Dec 19 via John Norfolk, DXLD)
RECORDING CATCHES (from NRD525/535 yahoo group)
What is the best way to connect my 525 to my computer to record
catches? I tried the four audio outputs from my radio to my computer
and all of the connections introduce computer hash. I am using a
laptop with a "mic" input, the only one on the computer. Do I need an
isolation transformer of some kind? (Bill Harms)
--------------------------
I have had no trouble with recording off my receivers (including two
525's) - however I have used the line-in, not mic input. If you don't
have a line input on your laptop, you may want to consider an external
soundboard like Creative Soundblaster MP3+, it connects to a USB port
and has two phono inputs for stereo audio. Can be fastened to the
laptop cover with velcro. I use this one on one of my (none line-in)
laptops and it works like a gem. Creative says USD 59.99, maybe
cheaper elsewhere.
Btw I have found that recording off the 525's external speaker output
is just as fine as using the line-out, since you can adjust output
level with the AF Gain. The audio quality seems to be identical.
(Regards, Bjarne Mjelde Berlevag, Arctic Norway)
-------------------------
For recording, try Total Recorder from http://www.highcriteria.com It
lets you record in most formats, including wav and mp3 in many
bitrates, and it has a user-selectable time buffer so that you won't
miss an ID because you were too late to hit the Record button. Can
also be used for automatic recording at specified times and duration.
Extremely easy to scan an audio file since you can jump forward or
backwards at intervals you choose (2, 4, 8, 16 seconds etc). You can
also select a part of the recording and save the selection. A
registered standard version costs USD 12, the trial version is fully
working but restricted to recording 40 seconds at a time. Another
useful too which I haven't tested is RecAll Pro, from
http://www.sagebrush.com It can be VOX activated (Regards, Bjarne
Mjelde Berlevag, Arctic Norway)
----------------------------
Bill, I use two programs for audio recording on my receivers (one of
which is a 5255). The first program is called Yamp 2.3... pretty
conventional in operation but with a really nice graphic display and
it has a built in timer function. http://www.softuarium.com/index.htm
The second program is called Loop Recorder. I discovered this one from
a link at Radio Netherlands. It is a great audio recorder program that
in normal operation runs a continuous recording loop. The default is
10 minutes. At any time you can change it to continuous and then stop,
edit and save. http://www.looprecorder.de/ This is a great program
for those of us who are slow at turning on the recorder. As long as
you get to it within the fixed loop period you can change it to
continuous and never loose the beginning of the program.
I have tried a number of other programs but found myself gravitating
towards these two. They are not free but they are not expensive
either. I can't recall seeing a laptop without a line in before...
many without a mic input except on their docks. Anyway, always want to
use a high level input if you can. (73, Jerald) (all via SW Bulletin
Dec 14 via DXLD)
FCC ALLOCATES ROAD HAZARD SPECTRUM
Slashdot is tonight linking to a story on Iwon that says the FCC has
approved spectrum for road hazard/notification use for motorists.
Somewhat amazingly (to me), the writer of the story, one Jonathan
Salant, gives no clue as to what KINDS of frequencies are involved.
I'll have to assume it is now in a range that was previously
unavailable for HD radio broadcasting.
There are interesting quotes as well. This is probably not a MW
item but may have an effect on deployment of HAR/TIS radio. The
implementation may be as much as 10 years out.
http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20031217/D7VG8UJO0.html
(Bob Foxworth, Tampa, Florida, Dec 17, NRC-AM; also via Harry van
Vugt, Ont., via DXLD)
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ivi/demo1.htm
(Via Harry van Vugt, Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
5.85-5.925 GHz, per the FCC's news release:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-242309A1.pdf
No threat to broadcasting, and perhaps this will finally stick the
fatal fork into the flawed "Safetycast" nonsense... s (Scott Fybush,
NY, Dec 17, NRC-AM via DXLD)
FCC SETS ASIDE RADIO SPECTRUM FOR SMART CARS
By Jonathan D. Salant Associated Press Posted on Thu, Dec. 18, 2003
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/7520000.htm
WASHINGTON - A flashing light in your car lets you know it's safe to
change lanes. An alarm warns you at an intersection that another
driver is speeding through. A beeping sound tells you you're getting
too close to the motorist in front of you.
The information would be broadcast from sensors along the highway over
special frequencies that no one else could use.
Though the technology is still five to 10 years away, the Federal
Communications Commission on Wednesday set aside an area of broadcast
spectrum to transmit those signals, rather than have them share space
with electronic toll sensors, cell phones and garage door openers.
The idea is to reduce the 6 million crashes that occur each year on
U.S. highways, which kill 42,000 people and cost more than $230
billion, according to the Transportation Department.
``We're making it safer for everyone who relies on the roads,'' FCC
Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy said. ``There were a couple of cars
ahead of me this morning that would have used this collision avoidance
system.''
The warnings could be received within 100 yards of the transmitters,
and thus are only for communications between vehicles or between a
vehicle and a sensor along the road.
``This new radio spectrum will help prevent crashes, bring important
real-time information into cars and let drivers concentrate on
driving,'' Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta said.
Transportation Department officials are testing the technology at an
intersection in McLean, Va., where sensors can automatically warn a
motorist when another car is approaching, helping to avoid collisions.
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the technology, however.
``A lot of these systems are based on the idea that if you could
simply warn drivers in advance of an impending crash, the driver could
take action to prevent the crash,'' said Russ Rader, a spokesman for
the industry-funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. ``But
drivers don't always do the right thing. They don't take the
appropriate action. Warning them ahead of time has no benefit.''
Mineta said the new frequencies also could be used at railroad grade
crossings, and to allow emergency vehicles to control traffic signals.
(San José Mercury News via Jilly Dybka; also Washington Post via Mike
Cooper, DXLD) WTFK???!!!
FCC SETS ASIDE RADIO SPECTRUM FOR 'SMART' CARS
Jeff Nesmith - Cox Washington Bureau, Thursday, December 18, 2003
Washington --- Someday your car may warn you of a traffic jam ahead,
or even pay for its own gasoline wirelessly.
That day moved a step closer Wednesday when the government formally
reserved a small section of radio spectrum to support highway safety
and ''smart'' transportation systems.
The Federal Communication Commission adopted licensing rules for using
the radio frequencies between 5.850 and 5.925 gigahertz (the ''5.9-GHz
band'') for dedicated traffic communications.
A variety of communications will be collectively known as the
Dedicated Short-Range Communications system.
Over that system, cars will one day communicate with each other and
the highway, drivers will pay for gasoline or even drive-through
hamburgers, and public safety agencies will deliver timely safety and
driving delay information, advocates say.
''This is an enabling technology that does not have immediate
commercial potential,'' said John Collins of Mobility Technologies, a
Pennsylvania company involved in installing intelligent transportation
systems.
''However, the idea behind it is to create a high-speed means of
communicating between vehicles and between a vehicle and the
roadside,'' Collins added.
Leaders of the fast-expanding industry hailed the action as comparable
to creation of the Internet.
''It's a very important step in the evolution of ITS [intelligent
transportation system] technology,'' said Neil Schuster, president of
the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
''Many intelligent transportation technologies are already in
development and in use, but to integrate them, you need communication.
This will make it possible,'' he added.
Schuster said safety and traffic flow innovations that the technology
makes possible will save thousands of lives and billions of dollars.
More than 43,000 Americans die in 6 million vehicle accidents each
year, and more than $300 million is lost to fuel wasted in congestion,
medical costs and other consequences of traffic problems, he said.
Schuster said he expects many existing intelligent transportation
technologies to be drawn to the new communication system and others to
be developed.
Innovations will range from more information about highway conditions
surrounding a driver to futuristic systems in which cars and buses are
operated without drivers, he said.
Global positioning systems and computer mapping technologies already
are used to assist drivers, and some companies are marketing
radio-operated safety systems for truckers.
In its vote, the FCC formalized its decision that the 5.9-GHz band
should be used primarily for public safety with limited non-safety
uses.
(c) 2003 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Mike Cooper, DXLD)
I thought Safetycast was dead before it got started, and forgot all
about it. I know that Safetycast was planned for an initial trial-run
in Florida but thought it never made it beyond the test stage.
(Bruce Conti - Nashua NH, NRC-AM via DXLD)
Alas, it's still alive - the latest development is an experimental
authorization issued to them to test on 91.7 in a single county in
Florida.
For those who still aren't familiar with Safetycast, it's a system
that's supposed to allow emergency vehicles to override broadcast
frequencies to convey important emergency messages ("There's an
ambulance behind you...MOVE OVER!") via a transmitter mounted in the
vehicle.
The thing has been the buzz of the radio engineering lists for months
now, as the experts try to figure out what kind of power you'd
actually need to run to override the signals of high-powered
broadcasters - for instance, with my close proximity to so many
Rochester signals, I get several AM stations with field strengths of
something like 80 or 90 mV/m, and I'm within the 90 dBu contour of at
least three FM signals, so overcoming those would take some serious
signal levels - which in turn would mean LOTS of interference to those
signals for listeners well out of the range of the actual emergency
situation. If the system were implemented by my county's sheriff road
patrol, let's say, it would either be drowned out in my RF-laden
neighborhood, or it would have to run so much power that it would
cause significant interference when used in less RF-heavy areas.
Now add to that the fact that the EAS system depends on broadcasters
receiving other broadcasters' signals over the air. If a police car
drives by the radio station just as the local EAS primary is
broadcasting a test or, worse yet, an actual alert, there's the real
potential that the station may never hear the EAS signal. (Safetycast
says it can eliminate this possibility by registering EAS receiver
locations and using GPS to silence Safetycast transmitters within a
1000' radius of those receivers - but how would that work for someone
like Fred at WLIO, who gets EAS from stations as far distant as WOWO.
I'm guessing ANY transmission on 1190 in or around Lima would kill his
WOWO reception at WLIO...)
Or what about my QTH, with the town police station 1000 feet to my
east and the fire station 400 feet to my west? Will my home radio
reception be knocked out every time a police car or fire engine is
dispatched? (Safetycast says people like me can register their
locations and have the Safetycast disabled within 1000' of them, too -
but all it would take in my small town is a half-dozen like-minded
people to register their locations, and the thing wouldn't work
anywhere in the central part of town.)
None of these objections has thus far fazed the folks at Safetycast -
in fact, nowhere on their Website will you even find any mention that
the technology they're sellling has yet to receive FCC approval, and
may never get approved. I'm sure they mean well, and I'd hate to
accuse them of being a bunch of scam artists, but they are at the very
least not very well educated on the laws of physics. s (Scott Fybush,
NY, ibid.)
The big problem (IMHO) is what happens when these transmitters get out
"into the wild". You may have heard a few weeks back about someone in
Detroit selling equipment to trigger those infrared devices that turn
stoplights green for emergency vehicles.
I would have to imagine a device that allows you to tell every car on
the road to pull over and let you pass would fetch a pretty good price
on the black market. Especially given its alternative value for
forcing your advertising into every radio ((Doug Smith W9WI, Pleasant
View (Nashville), TN EM66, ibid.)
Seems to me that the solution might be to place it on 108.1 MHz, and
make all receivers after that date capable of listening for the signal
as a separate, muted source. When the radio hears the transmission on
108.1, it would then react accordingly.
The spec should specify that the signal be transmitted in digital, and
that the transmitter contain a Smart GPS knowing the direction of
travel. That way in cars with Onstar and GPS, the system could be
designed so that if the driver was not near the approaching emergency,
or the emergency vehicle passed, the radio would ignore further
transmissions.
It slays me how some companies can come up with such evasive ways to
damage what we have/use now. With this, digital radio, and other
things --- the solution is simple. Don't mess with what exists.
Oh well. Got to go change spark plug wires on my car. Hopefully
they`re not digital, and will still work with the analog engine.
|grin| (Fred Vobbe, NRC-AM via DXLD)
CONTESTS
++++++++
The 6th Russian DX Contest will take place on 6-16 February 2004.
Contrary to the previous ones, now it's a really international event.
The Contest consists of two air-listening parts and a quiz.
First of all, I invite everyone to participate. Then, if anyone can
provide some prizes (of any value), that's heartily appreciated. I'd
prefer any kinds of DX literature (historical books, CD disks, fresh
editions of DX handbooks, subscriptions to paid DX services, etc.). If
you have anything to offer, please contact the organizer at
dxc2004@d.... [truncated by yahoogroups]
I'm planning to create a special contest page at http://dxsignal.info
putting there links/banners of all persons/organizations who offer
prizes for the Contest. I have already got agreements with Anker
Petersen (Denmark) and Jim Solatie (Finland) - they will provide some
good stuff for contest performers.
The rules are already online as a PDF file. See them at
http://dxsignal.info/read/RDXC_en.pdf
The document is also available from my English homepage,
http://dxsignal.info/indexen.htm
All clubs and DX editors are free to distribute this news (Dmitry
Mezin, Kazan, Russia, organizer of the Contest, Signal Dec 14 via
DXLD)
PROPAGATION
+++++++++++
URSIDS METEOR SHOWER PEAKS TOMORROW
A reminder that the Ursids meteor shower lasts from Dec 17 to 25, and
will peak on Dec 22. I have noticed a few reports of unusual
propagation today on the Skywaves list [VHF]. (Mike Terry, UK, Dec 21,
DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###